General Sir Patrick Sanders Keynote Speaker

General Sir Patrick Sanders is a highly respected military strategic thinker and leader, recognised internationally for leading the debate in Europe and, often controversially in the UK, on the need to better prepare ourselves for deteriorating global threats.  He has 40 years of experience as a military leader and 5 years as one of the UK defence chiefs, first creating the new UK Strategic Command and then as the UK’s Army Chief.

He is one of the most decorated and operationally experienced of his generation earning a DSO for leading his battalion under almost constant fire in Basra and a CBE for commanding the UK Brigade in Afghanistan. He brings strategic insight and operational experience from multiple tours of command on most UK operations since the end of the cold war, including Northern Ireland, Bosnia, Kosovo, Iraq, Afghanistan, UK resilience and global counter-terrorism, and international humanitarian operations in Africa. He has been responsible for the direction of military operations in the Ministry of Defence, frequently sitting on COBR, the National Security Council, briefing the PM and Cabinet and accompanying the Prime Minister to war zones.

His role creating UK Strategic Command lent him valuable experience in the challenges of scaling start-ups and the techniques and dynamism needed to disrupt powerful market incumbents.  Bringing together the UK’s Special Forces, Defence Intelligence, Space capabilities, Defence’s digital arm, national defence and offensive cyber capabilities and forming the Defence AI centre and Defence’s leading innovation hub also gave him exceptional insight into the exponential power of combinations and of applying disruptive technology to live operational problems. He created and led the UK’s National Cyber Force alongside Director GCHQ.

As Army Chief he led the response to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, training equipping and advising Ukraine’s Armed Forces, mobilised the British Army, tripling productivity and readiness, led a wholesale programme of cultural transformation and launched the most ambitious and radical programme of modernisation and regeneration for 40 years. Known as ‘the soldiers general’ he was held in great affection by the rank and file for his honesty, authenticity and moral courage, and has spoken powerfully on mental health.

Proficient in 4 languages, he is a charismatic and engaging speaker, known for simplicity and clarity. He holds an Honorary Doctorate from Exeter University and is an Honorary Professor at Exeter’s Security and Strategy Institute.